Where are the helpers?

When we feel unsettled by scary news reports, we can take comfort in the words of Mr. Rogers and his mom.

We live in difficult times. Grownups and children are missing the physical presence of dear friends. When we feel unsettled by scary news reports, we can take comfort in the words of Mr. Rogers and his mom:

There was something my mother did that I’ve always remembered: “Always look for the helpers,” she’d tell me. “There’s always someone who is trying to help.” I did, and I came to see that the world is full of doctors and nurses, police and firemen, volunteers, neighbors and friends who are ready to jump in to help when things go wrong.

But today, where are the helpers?

They're everywhere.

The helpers are all the workers who make the world go around: the checker at the grocery store who is exposed to hundreds of people every day; the nurse in the ER who is doing exhausting work while working uncomfortable protective gear; the kind person passing you with smiling eyes from six feet away.

We are the helpers, too. We can help others by being safe. By wearing masks when we are going out, so we don't infect anyone just in case. By being gracious and forgiving when people get upset or make mistakes.

People are under stress. We mess up more than usual, but it's so wonderful that we've also become much more forgiving to each other.